One Headlight
by AscendFlySoar
Summary: Remus thought Sirius had been doing exactly what he had been doing; Peter thought Sirius had finally cracked; James thought that once he got his hands around Sirius's neck that he might see some sense.
1. Prologue

They were close. He could feel her hot breath—smell her shampoo. Strawberries. The scent suited her.

He wanted to close the distance more than anything. Here she was, the girl of his dreams, the one he had been in love with since he knew what love was, sitting right in front of him—so close he could count the freckles on her nose.

"I—" What the hell was he doing? "I've sort of started seeing someone."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh." It was a small sound, and had he not seen her lips move, he would have thought he had imagined it. "Right—" she leaned away from him slightly and smiled kindly, "that's great." She looked away from him. After a moment she turned to leave.

"Lily," he wrapped his hand around her wrist. "I—"

She shook her head gently. Her smile became genuine; sincere. "I'll see you around, James."

And he watched her walk away, the one thing he swore to himself he'd never do.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>

Had I owned _Harry Potter_, I assure you, I would be on a beach in Puerto Rico with a bushwhacker in hand and a good book in the other living off of my wages.

**Warnings:**

Drinking, smoking, a fair amount of cussing, and possible sex scenes. Nothing too graphic though, I assure you. Also a bit of alcohol abuse, though again, nothing drastic.

**Rating:**

"T" for now, but maybe "M" later on. It's doubtful, but who knows. My mind has a mind of its own!

**Genre:**

_Drama; General; Romance; Humour; Suspense; Tragedy; Family; Hurt/Comfort_

A bit of everything!

**Focus:**

Lily Evans; Marlene McKinnon; Mary Macdonald; Dorcas Meadowes; Charlotte Hartry; James Potter; Sirius Black; Remus Lupin; Peter Pettigrew

My focus will mainly be on Lily and James and their relationship, but Lily's dorm mates as well as the Marauders will be heavily included in the plot as well.

**Author's Notes:**

I realize this is a bit confusing, but as it's the prologue, don't concern yourself too much over it. Everything will be explained in due time.

And with that marks the beginning to the epic tale of _One Headlight_. Prepare yourself.


	2. Prologue The Second

This morning, she thought, was so far quite uneventful, a concept she was unused to. Perhaps that was because she had arrived at platform nine and three-quarters early this year and it was rather quiet opposed to all of the hustle and bustle that normal start of term days bring about. Perhaps it was because her friends hadn't yet arrived in the compartment to give her the long version of the drama that is their lives, and her ear wasn't yet being chatted off by one of her dorm mates. Perhaps it was because she had seen neither hide nor hair of James Potter, a fact that she was a bit relieved of. She honestly had her faith in the latter.

In fact, the most eventful part of her entire summer was Petunia announcing her engagement to none other than Vernon Dursley, her boyfriend of about two years and counting. Lily did not much like the fellow; he was stuck up and only drank Irish Breakfast tea with three sugars and two spoons of honey. The aesthetic quality of their relationship was also severely lacking: he was rather portly and Petunia was quite boney. Although he was never outright _rude_to Lily, she could tell that he shared the common dislike of her with his fiancée.

Sighing at the thought, Lily decided she had best change into her robes and head into the Prefect compartment at the front of the train. It appeared as though none of her friends were going to show until past ten-thirty, by which time she was supposed to be prepared for her meeting.

No, it hadn't been a very eventful summer.

-...-

This morning, he thought, was so far quite eventful, a concept he was used to. Perhaps that was because he hadn't wakened to his alarm and accidentally over-slept. Perhaps that was because the reason he hadn't wakened to his alarm was because Sirius had smashed it with his surprisingly powerful fist and rendered it beyond repair. Perhaps it was because he hadn't had time to eat breakfast and his stomach growled uncomfortably as he raced through King's Cross station and through the brick barrier between platforms nine and ten as the clock struck ten-fifty-seven. He honestly had his faith in the latter.

In fact, the most uneventful part of his summer had been watching Sirius take off his trousers as they played strip-poker accompanied by large amounts of alcohol. His father would have walked in on them had he not shouted the first thing that had popped into his head: that he was jerking-off. Sirius had drunkenly burst out laughing and James thought his father seriously questioned his sexuality every moment after that. Sirius didn't remember the next day, and was quite confused when James's father kept dropping hints that he was accepting of homosexuals. James hoped his father hadn't taken Sirius seriously when he had agreed with the phrase, "We all live under the same sun."

Grinning at the thought, James hurtled onto the train just as it began to move. He watched the platform fade farther and farther away through a window until Sirius called for him and he turned around to begin the search for a compartment.

No, it hadn't been a very uneventful summer.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

This is a kind of like a second prologue, if you will. I decidedly chose to begin this fic on a lighter note, for, "Happiness can be found in even the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light." And I do realize that isn't an _actual_ Dumbledore quote. Damn movies.


	3. Move Away

In which:

Lily needs to prioritize;

Mary is confused;

Dorcas is secretive;

Marlene is unreachable;

Charlotte smokes too much;

James is conflicted;

Sirius is depressed;

Remus has a sarcastic demeanour;

Peter is mysterious.

These nine sixth years no not what awaits them. They only know the here and now, for that is really all they wish to know. It's difficult enough to deal with the present, let alone the future.

-..-

Our tale begins with one Lily Evans (almond shaped emerald green eyes, dark red hair that falls in waves past her shoulders, five-feet five-inches tall, slender frame, small nose, adorable freckles), and one James Potter (hazel eyes, raven black hair that sticks up in every direction, six-feet two-inches, lanky frame, long nose, irresistible grin). Two adolescents that know not yet of the great things they are destined to do. Two young teenagers that have a place in the wheels of fate but for the time being remain blissfully unaware. This is not only their story, but their lives as they see it through ignorant eyes. The eyes of two sixteen year olds.

-..-

"_Damn it, Padfoot!"_ a disheveled James Potter yelled across King's Cross Station, an apologetic look on his face to a nearby mother's glare. He tapped his foot, checking his watch every few seconds. The brick barrier to platform nine and three-quarters was just five steps away from where he stood (which was actually three steps, considering James's height and leg-length).

Sirius Black finally caught up to his mate, panting slightly. "It's your bloody fault—those stilts you call_ legs_—" but James was already moving towards the platform, pushing a trolley with his luggage towards the barrier. And Sirius, after having muttered a few more vile curse words pertaining to James, followed suit.

The clock struck eleven as the two boys hauled their trunks onto the train and hastily jumped aboard themselves. James lagged behind for a moment while Sirius hauled down the corridor to search for Peter, who had no doubt found them a compartment already.

"Where have you been?" Peter Pettigrew asked. He was quite a lump of a boy, and had he supported red hair instead of brown would have rather resembled a large ice cream sundae with a cherry on top.

"We were already running late without the stop we had to make on the way here," James said as he took a seat beside Peter, stowing his trunk under the seats and then looking sideways at Sirius as if about to roll his eyes. Which Peter found quite odd—James hardly ever rolled his eyes at Sirius: that responsibility was reserved to Remus. This was why he asked where they had stopped and was told again by James: "A liquor store."

Sirius, who Peter had just noticed was also supporting a rather large brown paper bag, sat down and took a flask out of his pocket. "We could have taken the bike if we had missed the train, Prongs. Would have made more of an entrance that way, anyway."

Peter also found it odd that when Sirius said this, he did not grin. He actually looked quite worn; his face looked tired and his dark hair was a bit of a mess.

"Yes, Padfoot—why didn't we just ride your flying motorcycle to Hogwarts? What a grand idea! What say you, Pete?" James exclaimed, blatantly sarcastic. Then he thought about it more seriously. "You know, there was a time when I would seriously consider actually doing that, which honestly frightens me more than you suggesting it."

Sirius had taken a glass bottle out from the paper bag, filled the flask, and stuck the bag along with the rest of its contents into his trunk, which he promptly stored under the seats. "What happened?"

James shrugged, mostly taking this as a rhetorical question. He stared out the window, a faraway look in his eyes.

"Damn it—" Sirius checked his pockets and stood up from his seat, scanning the compartment.

Peter furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Dropped my cigarettes somewhere…." Sirius checked his pockets again, then with one last look around, opened the compartment door. "I'll be back in a minute."

Peter watched him go. He realized the compartment already smelled like smoke just since Sirius had come in. He had always wondered what the appeal of smoking was; he had tried it himself a few times, none of which he found it very enjoyable: It made him cough and caused his mouth to feel dirty.

James did not look up from the window when Sirius left the compartment. He did look up, however, when the sound of Peter breaking something that sounded an awful lot like a candy bar reached his ears. His mouth began to water when he saw that Peter held a chocolate bar in his hands, and his stomach thought this was an appropriate time to alert him of his lack of breakfast that morning by growling loudly.

He grinned sheepishly at Peter. Peter smiled with his lips (as he was always embarrassed to do so with his teeth on account that they were horribly crooked) and handed him a large portion of the chocolate bar, which was, in James's opinion (or rather his stomach's opinion), worth more than gold.

-..-

"Have a good holiday, Lily?" Remus Lupin asked as he entered the Prefects compartment, fifteen minutes early.

Lily thought for a moment of the best way to answer this seemingly innocent question. She wasn't about to begin ranting on poor, unsuspecting Remus Lupin, so she figured she had better choose her words carefully to prevent herself from doing so. How_ had_ her summer been?

Certainly her sister Petunia's engagement was the most life-altering event that had occurred over the summer, but she wasn't about to bring _that_ up, for she was confident she would do just what she was trying to prevent if she spoke even a word about it. The next biggest thing she supposed would be her family dog's passing, but that was also still a sore spot that she didn't really want to discuss. Besides those two things, she had done her summer homework and drank absurd amounts of tea, both of which she reasoned were rather uninteresting. She was coming up with nothing and Remus was still waiting for an answer, so she said:

"It was…all right."

And it had been. But then again, she was a bit of an optimist, and anyone besides herself would have called her summer no less than completely dull. But, it was over now anyway, so why should she live in the past? Her focus renewed, she turned her thoughts back to Remus.

"How about you?" Lily asked. She had to crane her neck to meet his eye-level from where he stood. "You've grown about a foot," she smiled.

It was true—he all but towered over her five-feet five-inches, and that had been last term. She'd always thought he was quite handsome, despite the fact that he always appeared to be tired. His reddish-brown hair still hung in his eyes, but appeared to have gotten lighter from the summer sun. He had a thin face and a proportional nose, along with a fair amount of stubble. He was thin—not muscled, but thin. He looked, as he did more often than not, like he could do with a hearty meal and a good night's rest.

"Eventful," he grinned slightly as he sat down beside her window seat, "quite eventful."

Even as he said it, she knew it was a grand understatement.

"How could it _not_ be with those two," she said goodheartedly, smiling.

"Yes, well…." Remus shook his head fondly. "I'm not proud of most of it."

She cocked an eyebrow. "I suppose I would be wise not to ask?"

"That would probably be best for not only your sanity, but my self-confidence."

She laughed, leaning back against the window. Her smile quickly faded as her mind fell upon, once again, the only significant thing that had happened to her in the past three months. Whenever she was happy, her sister always found a way to drag her mood down, even if she wasn't present. Remus noticed this change in attitude and knitted his eyebrows slightly.

"My sister got engaged over the summer," she sighed, forgetting about the deal she had made with herself. She felt like she needed to tell someone though, and she had seen no one besides her family for the past three months.

Remus said nothing for a moment. Then: "You don't appear very enthused on the matter."

She blew a laugh out her nose. "Petunia and I….we don't exactly get along." Lily hadn't realized how much resentment she had built up towards her sister over the summer. It felt strange letting it all go. It felt…._nice_.

"When I was little," Remus said quietly, "I always wished I had a brother. Someone to play with….someone that was always there for me." He smiled nostalgically. "My parents never had another child after me, though."

"Why not?" Lily inquired, captivated by this sudden breach in Remus's barrier. She had never heard him be so open with her before; he was a bit of an enigma to her. She knew more than he thought she knew about him, like where he went every month. She had discovered that about him last year, and certain things about his personality had fallen into place, but she knew even then that she would never fully understand him.

"I suppose I was enough for them to handle," he said jokingly.

Lily smiled, but knowing the truth behind his words, it was a bit strained.

Their conversation was cut short when Prefects began arriving in the compartment. She was a bit disappointed at this; she'd hoped they could talk a bit longer. She liked Remus. She hadn't had many heart-to-hearts like this with him before, and he looked like he could use a chat as much as she could.

-..-

"Darla, have I told you how stunning you look in that incredibly short skirt?"

"Keep talking, Black, and you'll wish you were able to have children." Darla Rhodes snarled at her predator, her hand twitching towards her wand.

Sirius held his hands up in surrender. "I was merely complimenting you," he said innocently. Then with a slight grin: "Though I wouldn't mind getting into—"

But the rest of his no doubt crude comment was cut off as he dodged into his compartment to avoid a particularly nasty looking hex hurtled his way.

"Haven't you dated her already?" Peter asked, chocolate bar long since finished. He was seated nearest the window, preparing the card deck to play exploding snap. "She looks familiar…."

Sirius sat elegantly adjacent to him, propped his legs up on the seat across from him and said arrogantly, "All girls look the same if you've never dated one, Wormtail. Where'd Prongs run off to?"

"Loo," Peter said, seemingly unfazed from the insult besides a slight tinge of pink that had crept up his neck. "Did you find your smokes?"

"Yeah."

Peter bit his lip. It wasn't often that Sirius didn't initiate conversation, and when that happened, Peter found himself not quite knowing what to say. "Want to go a round?" he finally asked, motioning to the prepared card deck.

Sirius stared out the window. "I'm not in the mood."

Peter nodded as though he understood, but sometimes he just didn't _get_ Sirius. They weren't exactly similar people. That was why when Sirius stood and, without bothering to announce where he was headed, left the compartment, Peter didn't question him. Because he was Sirius, and sometimes he thought Sirius didn't even understand himself.

And he was right. Sirius didn't have a damn clue what was in the equation of his life, but he did know that if he didn't add alcohol and a cigarette to the formula, he might just collapse in on himself. He needed to be alone.

The loo was occupied. _Fuck_. He knew it was highly unlikely, but still traveled up the corridor, searching for an empty compartment. He was nearly frantic now that the prospect of alcohol in his system and a fag on his lips had come to mind.

Not believing his luck, he dodged into one a few compartments down from the loo and locked the door. He drew a flask from his pocket, and after a few gulps, lit a cigarette. He opened the window and tapped the end after a few drags, trying to think of the last day he had gotten through completely sober.

-..-

The Prefect meeting had run a little longer than usual this year. A bit of this was due to the fact that the Head Boy had been snogging his girlfriend in the nearby loo and was a bit late to the meeting—to the Head Girl's blatant annoyance—but most of it was because times were bad and it was necessary to take extra precautions to ensure the school's safety. Overall, it looked like everyone in the compartment had their work cut out for them.

"Patrols," began the Head Girl, Melanie Grant, coming to the last thing on her list, "will no longer be carried out by individuals." As she said this the Head Boy began passing out pamphlets. "You will be assigned a partner to patrol with you and you may not split the ground you have to cover. You will, however, be at your partner's side at all times during your patrol. Your patrolling partner is your House partner of the same year, and yes, I do realize this is much more time consuming than what we have done in previous years, but safety is of the highest importance at this moment in time and to ensure that safety certain measures have been taken."

Remus handed her a stack of pamphlets and Lily took one before passing the rest onto the person beside her. She read the title curiously.

**The Ministry of Magic's Guide to Defensive Magic**

"The pamphlets that have been handed out have been sent by the Ministry," Melanie explained. "It's nothing to panic about, just precautionary."

Lily wasn't so sure, and judging by Remus's expression, he wasn't either.

"I wouldn't even suggest you give it a read over if I weren't required to," Melanie said dryly, glancing through her own pamphlet. "Most of this a second year can perform without hassle….however," she cleared her throat, "at this time I would like to assure everyone that there is no danger, Hogwarts is completely safe. I really think they're jumping a bit ahead of themselves over at the Ministry even bringing this about, but they never seem to have the best timing, do they?"

"Bunch of sods," the Head Boy murmured, earning him an elbow in the ribs from the Head Girl.

"And that's about it for now," Melanie concluded. "Unless there are any questions—? All right, then. See you tomorrow evening!"

The Prefects began filing out of the compartment (Lily returned a friendly wave sent her way by Alice Prewett) until it was only Lily and Remus left in the back.

"What do you suppose this is all about?" Lily asked him, a bit unnerved by the pamphlet despite the Head Girl's reassurance.

"I haven't the slightest idea," Remus admitted. But he stuck it in the pocket of his robes anyway.

-..-

James hadn't _exactly_ been lying when he said he had gone to the loo. He'd just been stretching the truth a bit. He was, in fact, going to the loo, just the loo on the other side of the train.

He wasn't even really sure _why_ he had left the compartment at all. His bladder was a bit full, but he didn't have to go very badly, and he at least could have waited until after the trolley came around. Even so, he felt a bit like something was compelling him to go to the loo on the other side of the train. Now, he wasn't one to believe in the wooly area that was divination, but he did have a bit of faith in fate, and right now all of his instincts were telling him to go to that loo. When he passed the only other loo he knew of on the train and it was occupied, he took this a sign.

As he played it over in his head, it sounded a bit ridiculous. A lot, really, and he would have turned around right there on the spot if he had any sense at all. Fortunately—or unfortunately, as it is yet to be discovered—he really had no sense whatsoever, and so through the narrow corridor he went.

When he arrived at the loo, he wasn't sure what to think. First of all, this loo along with the one he had already passed was occupied, so he supposed this journey was not for the sake of his bladder. Second, thinking about the loo so much actually had him needing to use its facilities, but again, it was occupied, and he wasn't sure how long he should wait for whatever had been compelling him to come this far. He didn't have to think about this for long, however, because the occupant of the ever-so-fateful loo opened the door just as he was walking past it and the two became a jumble of arms and legs on the floor. His glasses fell askew to the mess, and he could only tell that this person on top of him was feminine by her voice when she said, "Oh! I'm sorry—"

She climbed off of him and held her hand out. He took it gratefully, and once he was on his feet she picked up his glasses on the floor and stood on her tip-toes.

"Don't move," she said, placing the glasses upon the crook of his nose when he complied. His eyes came into focus, revealing her to be a petit, stunning brunette with bright blue eyes, sharp features, and a gentle smile. "Better?"

He smiled. "Thank you,"

"I think it was _me_ who crashed into you, actually." She laughed daintily.

"Yes, but only the truly thick stand in front of lavatory doors in narrow corridors." He grinned as she laughed again. He liked the sound of it. "James Potter," he brought forth his hand.

She took it in hers. "Bridget Byrne,"

"It was nice running into you, Bridget," James said, his hand jumping to his already tousled jet-black hair.

Bridget smiled. "You too, James." She turned to leave, calling softly over her shoulder, "See you around."

He watched her go, eventually heading in the opposite direction. He wondered what had compelled him to meet this girl and why she had been so sweet and pretty, and _completely_ flirting with him, if he wasn't misreading the signals. And he usually didn't.

He had made it all the way back to his compartment when he realized he had forgotten something: to use the loo.

-..-

Remus seemed a bit preoccupied as they walked together down the length of the train. Lily couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

"I'll see you later," she said when she had located her friend's compartment. He smiled at her and continued down the corridor.

Lily slid open the compartment door only to be accosted by a sea of blonde hair.

"Lily! How are you?"

Lily sneezed. "Well I'd tell you Mary, but your hair is up my nostrils."

Mary Macdonald drew back and reigned in her light hair, throwing it over her shoulder. She laughed at Lily's expression and sat down in the seat beside the door. "You're tan." She somewhat accused.

"And you're not?" Lily grinned as she sat down across from Mary and acknowledged the third person in the compartment. "Good holiday, Marlene?"

Marlene McKinnon, it seemed, always found something to be angry about. And sure enough—

"Did it sound very cheerful in my letters, Lily?" she asked grumpily. She was seated against the window with her knees to her chest, blonde curls falling down both of her shoulders.

"Oh, she's just angry because Dennis is dating a seventh year," Mary explained, drawing her legs onto the seat to sit cross-legged.

That was another thing about Marlene; she liked to keep tabs on all of her love interests, past and current. And Marlene had _many_ love interests. She mainly focused on those who had broken up with her, however, and Dennis Bixby happened to be one of those people.

"Miss 'I'm perfect' Georgia Marks," Marlene muttered, pulling absently at a blonde curl. "That slut!"

"That was nearly a year ago, Mar." Lily attempted, though she knew it was no use. "He was a tart."

"Definitely a tart," Mary agreed.

Mary was perhaps the most agreeable person Lily had ever met. And not in that "I'm just agreeing with everything you say to make you happy" sort of way, she actually meant something when she said it. She was just extremely easy-going. She was short, about five-two, with straight blonde hair that reached her elbow but seemed much longer because of her height. She had a straight fringe and often wore a headband to pull her hair back, though she had none in today. Her features were petit besides her blue eyes which could become quite wide when she was excited or sad. She hardly wore any makeup, which made her Marlene's entire opposite, for the latter never went anywhere without her makeup bag. Marlene did not wear anything dark or heavy, but she accented her natural features nicely with cosmetics and tended to the "horrendous bags" under her eyes when she awoke every morning with cover-up.

"Where the hell is Dorcas, anyway?" Marlene asked impatiently, glaring at the compartment door.

Mary shrugged. "She said she had someone she had to talk to."

Marlene blatantly didn't think this was a satisfactory answer. "I'm going to find her," she said as she stood and stormed out of the compartment.

Lily looked at Mary; Mary shrugged.

Mary smiled and said, "A day in the life of Marlene McKinnon," It was a private joke between Marlene's dorm mates and was sort of an excuse for anything unexpected or unexplainable she did.

Lily laughed. "Clearly…."

-..-

"Where the hell have you been?" Sirius demanded as James entered the compartment. He himself had smoked five cigarettes in the unoccupied compartment and still made it back before James had. "And why do you look like you've just been wanking?"

James was grinning rather foolishly. He sat down across from Sirius. "I've just met someone," he tried to explain. The truth was, he didn't really know what he was so happy about himself.

"Presumably a bird?" Sirius guessed dryly, not feeling the same vibe.

"Presumably. Where's Moony?"

"Hasn't come back from the Prefect's meeting," Peter supplied. He had taken to staring out the window.

James noticed the cards on the seat beside Peter and said, "Anyone up for a round?"

"I'm in," Peter agreed immediately.

Sirius shrugged, but James looked much too enthusiastic to disappoint. "Why not?"

-..-

Lily laughed as the trolley rolled in front of their door and a minute later, she and Mary were surrounded by sweets, unable to help themselves.

"I've missed magical candy," Lily sighed as she opened a chocolate frog and took a bite, groaning from the taste.

"Seems like there's something else going on there entirely, Lily." Dorcas Meadowes grinned as she entered the compartment. "Would you and the frog like a room?"

Lily smiled. "I think we've already got one, thanks. Oh, you don't mind, do you?"

Dorcas took the seat by the window adjacent to the one Marlene had vacated a few minutes ago. Her brown hair was pulled back into a braid and looked the slightest bit tousled; there were a few flyaway strands around her ears and her fringe. Her brown eyes were covered in dark eyeliner and her pale skin was slightly flushed around her cheeks.

"You haven't happened to see Marlene, have you?" Mary asked Dorcas, adjusting her position in her seat to face her. "She went out looking for you,"

Dorcas shook her head. "I haven't seen her," she said. "I did see Darla Rhodes send a good hex Sirius Black's way, though." She grinned at the thought. "Nearly hit him, too."

"_That_ I wouldn't miss," Lily grinned, checking her chocolate frog card. She didn't collect them, but Mary did. It was Morgana, though, and she has about ten of her.

"How've you been?" Dorcas inquired of Lily, tucking a flyaway strand behind her ear and reaching for a chocolate frog. "I haven't heard from you all summer."

Lily hesitated. "It's been…hectic." She supposed that was the right word.

"Your sister?" Dorcas guessed.

Lily nodded. "She's engaged." She sighed. "I hate him."

Dorcas looked sympathetic. "I don't like my brother's wife very well, either." She frowned. "I dislike her quite a bit, actually."

Dorcas Meadowes never used the word 'hate.' She never used the word 'love' either, and no one really knew why. She said it was because she's never loved anything other than her parents and her brother in her life, and she's never hated anything other than peaches and the taste of alcohol, the latter which she manages to tolerate anyway. She wasn't really the kind of person you could understand, though. She was similar to Marlene in that way, though Marlene was a bit more blunt and Dorcas had a bit more tact.

"Who did you have to talk to?" Mary asked lightly, attempting to change the subject.

"Hmm?" Dorcas hummed. "Oh, no one," she shrugged nonchalantly.

Dorcas, also unlike Marlene, was an excellent liar.

"Okay," Mary began again. She did not have to grope for a new topic for long, because a moment later Marlene entered the compartment.

"And just where have _you_ been?" Marlene demanded of Dorcas as she stood before her, crossing her arms.

Dorcas shrugged. "Here and there….what's wrong?"

Marlene sat down in a huff beside Lily. "Aunt Flow."

Lily laughed. "Mar, if we didn't know any better we'd think it was always your time of the month."

"Thank you for that wonderful insight, Lily." Marlene snarled.

"It _must_ be Aunt Flow," Dorcas reasoned, "I can't remember the last time you snapped at Lily."

"No one asked you, Dorcas." Marlene pulled absently at a blonde curl in the sea cascading over her shoulder. "I hate men."

"I hate _these_," Mary said, holding out a licorice wand.

Dorcas leaned over to take it. "I don't see how that is possible, but more for me, I suppose." She smiled as she took a bite. "Mhhmmm.…I nearly orgasm to these things."

The four girls burst out in a fit of giggles. Even Marlene could not hold back laughter.

"Has anyone seen Charlotte?" Lily asked once the four girls had subsided.

"Yes," Dorcas nodded. "I didn't speak with her, but I saw her on the platform with Oliver."

Mary took a bite of a pumpkin pasty before inquiring, "I wonder why she hasn't stopped by?"

-..-

The train was too full of people. Too cramped. Too claustrophobic. Charlotte had endured about an hour of it before she couldn't take it any longer and her lips started to itch. Not for the cigarette, but for the smoking itself. It was peaceful.

She dodged into the first loo she came to and lit the end of a fag, enjoying the way it felt on her lips. She leaned against the wall, the cold easing her head a bit. There was a mirror across from her, reflecting her light red curls and pale skin. And besides the slight bags under her eyes, she looked fine. And she was glad, because maybe if she looked it, she'd start to believe it.

-..-

When Remus arrived in the compartment, he was slightly taken aback by James's ecstatic mood, though he was not about to complain. After ten games of exploding snap, however, he had decidedly changed his mind.

"You're off you're game today, Moony," James grinned, cracking his knuckles for effect.

Remus threw both hands in the air. "You know, I believe you're right. I am feeling a bit ill..."

"I am creaming you for the first time in my life and by God, you are not backing down." James put a hand delicately to his heart. "It would _crush_ me, Moony."

"You'll still have the best winning streak if you lose again," Peter assured. "Though if you lost _two_ more—"

"You're not helping things, Wormtail," James said plainly. He waggled his eyebrows at Remus. "One more round, Moons." He pleaded. "Don't make me bribe you..."

Remus looked affronted. "What makes you think I can be bought over?"

James grinned. He knew that candy bar he bought off of the trolley would come in handy. He opened his trunk and extracted it. "It's all yours if you win," he promised as he watched Remus's eyes widen upon seeing the gigantic chocolate mound, and his saliva glands—well, he couldn't _see_ them, but he could tell that they were secreting in excess amounts.

"All right," Remus sighed, knowing he was committing to his impending doom.

"Want to go a round, Pads?" James asked Sirius without looking up.

Sirius, who did not want to in the slightest, did not respond, but instead said, "I need to use the loo," before exiting the compartment.

"Has anyone noticed," Peter began slowly, "that he's been more..._Sirius_-ish than usual?"

"Who else would he be?" James asked, clearly missing the point. "Come on, Lupin, get ready for the arse kicking of your life..."

Peter frowned. He knew Sirius was acting strange, even if James didn't see it, and by the way Remus stared after him, Peter knew Remus knew it too.

-..-

Her third cigarette was down to a nub when Charlotte decided to clear out. She didn't like the idea of sitting in a cramped compartment with four of her dorm mates for the rest of the afternoon, but she didn't have much of a choice in the matter, and it was beginning to smell like waste in that tiny loo, somehow, through all of the smoke.

Charlotte drew her wand from the back pocket of her jeans (she hadn't yet changed into her robes) and waved it around the room, clearing all traces of smoke. She stuck it back inside her pocket and exited the lavatory, breathing a deep breath out of her nose to regain her composure. And she could have done it—gone to the compartment where her friends were seated and pretend to be interested in what little conversation they had to relate; nodded her head and smiled like they all expected her to.

She was on her way to do just that when the power went out. She could hear the squealing of metal on metal as the train breaks were triggered, causing her to lurch forward violently and crash into a nearby compartment. The door shut behind her.

"Hullo?" She couldn't tell if there was anyone in this compartment—it was almost pitch-black even though it couldn't have been later than three-thirty; she hadn't realized how heavily the rain clouds had formed. She spotted a silhouette against the window and her hand jumped quickly to her pocket for her wand.

Sirius beat her to it, his wand tip illuminated. "Hartry?" he asked, dark hair hanging in his eyes. He looked tired. "What the hell is going on?"

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>

The only things I own are the personalities and descriptions of Marlene McKinnon, Dorcas Meadowes, and Mary Macdonald, along with my OC, Charlotte Hartry. Yes, I do cry myself to sleep at night.

**Author's Notes:**

Confusing? Check!

My work here is done. Well, not really since I intend on finishing the rest of the fic, but you get the point.

Reviews are everything, so please take a moment to let me know what you think.


	4. Tangerine Dream

"I don't know…." Charlotte clutched her wand in one hand and swept her fringe to the side with the other, facing the compartment door. Sirius stood beside her. In the wand light, he looked tired; there were bags above his perfectly crafted cheekbones. He, along with her, had yet to change into his robes, instead wearing jeans with many holes in them accompanied by a black leather jacket.

Before they could act, a loud voice filled the train.

"_This less than favourable weather has caused an untimely power outage. There is absolutely no need for panic or qualms of any kind, and this error should be rectified within the next few minutes. Please remain in your compartments for the duration of the power outage. Do not enter the corridors until the train once again begins moving. Thank you for your cooperation."_

Neither Sirius nor Charlotte relaxed, however. They continued to face the compartment, wands at the ready, each listening intently for any unusual sounds. After a moment, Sirius tried to open the door, but it was locked from the outside no doubt to keep students in their respective compartments.

"This is a _magical_ train," he said, annoyed. "How sodding thick do they think we are? Sounded like a bloody Ministry official…."

She thought he was right. They stood for another moment in silence before Charlotte sat down. She sensed no immediate danger and, at the moment, there was nothing to do but wait. Her lips began to itch after a few more moments of silence, and she reached in her pocket for her cigarettes, mumbling, "Damn it," when she couldn't find them.

"Something wrong?" Sirius asked, following her lead and resuming his seat in front of the window.

"I must've dropped my cigarettes out in the hall," she said, tapping her fingers, irritated.

He reached into his pocket and revealed a pack. She leaned towards him and took the one he offered her gratefully before lighting it with the tip of her wand. He did the same, blowing out a smoke ring as he clutched it between his middle and index finger.

They seemed to come to a silent understanding, as neither spoke. Charlotte closed her eyes in the darkness, enjoying the peace. Though if she had been told that morning that she would be smoking in an train compartment with Sirius Black, she definitely wouldn't have believed it.

"I didn't know you smoked," he said after a awhile.

She leaned her head back against the wall and blew out a train of smoke. "I don't."

He cocked a handsome eyebrow. "Really?"

She smiled bitterly, tucking a light red curl behind her ear. "It's my summer habit. Exclusive to long periods of time spent around my family."

"I can relate to that." One of his arms was draped elegantly along the back of the seats as he turned his body to position his cigarette out the open window, tapping the end lightly before taking another drag. "My dear old mum and I never quite got along."

Charlotte knew Sirius had problems with his family. It wasn't exactly a secret, but she still couldn't help but feel that he didn't talk about it with many people. She would be right, of course.

"I pretty much told her to go fuck herself last summer," Sirius continued with a calm expression. The only thing revealing this to be a sore subject was the firmness of his jaw. "I thought it would feel great, you know. I had been running the conversation we would have when I finally left home over and over in my head since I was eleven." He laughed bitterly. "It sounds childish, but...whenever she'd send me to my room, that's what I'd to. Plan my speech." He took a drag. He didn't speak for a few moments.

"Did it?" Charlotte found herself asking.

He took a slow drag. "Not in the slightest."

She didn't know what to say to that, so she took a drag. They sat in silence in the darkness. Charlotte wondered if she should feel awkward sitting alone in a train compartment with Sirius Black, who she didn't really know, but didn't really have anything against. They were in the same House, and she recalled being partnered with him a few times in class, but they didn't _know_ each other. If she should feel awkward, though, she didn't.

By the time their cigarettes were gone, the power was back on, but neither made to leave.

Sirius drew two more cigarettes from the pack. "Fancy another?"

-…-

"I wonder what that was all about," Mary said, moving her hair out of the way to peer behind her out the window into the corridor as the power turned back on and the train began to move. Many other students were doing the same.

Lily dug the Ministry pamphlet out of her beaded bag. "I'm guessing it has something to do with this," she held it up.

Marlene leaned over to read the title. "_The Ministry of Magic's Guide to Defensive Magic_? Where did you get _that_?"

"Prefect's meeting," Lily analyzed the cover herself. "Melanie said it was rubbish, but I'm not so sure."

"Let me see that," Dorcas held out a hand and Lily handed her the pamphlet. After a moment of reading through it, she said, "I'm not surprised Melanie didn't approve—a first year could perform anything in here."

Mary thought for a moment. "Do you think that was a Ministry Official? The one that spoke?"

"I dunno…." Lily said. Though, if she could bet on it, she would give more than just a few gallons that this _did_ have something to do with the Ministry. "_The Prophet_'s been a bit evasive lately, so I wouldn't be surprised."

"We should ask Josh…." Dorcas thought aloud, her eyes still scanning the pamphlet.

Mary smirked quite uncharacteristically. "I'm sure Mar would _love _to,"

Marlene, who by now had fizzled down from her episode, narrowed her light brown eyes. "I told you—I hate men."

"Oh, we all know you fancy him," Mary continued, smiling now.

"You _know_ because I _told_ you, Mary." Marlene's arms were crossed against her chest. Her rather low-cut blouse could have used another button. "_In confidence_, I might add."

Lily propped her elbow on the seat armrest. "_Someone_ should ask him, he probably knows something we don't."

"He is quite handsome," Dorcas offered, handing the pamphlet back to Lily who stuck it back in her bag.

Marlene nodded somewhat dreamily, momentarily forgetting her anger. "He smells good, too." She had a thing with boys and how they smelled. She once broke-up with her boyfriend because he smelled badly after he had an unfortunate mishap in Potions. Unfortunately, that was also the subject they had to remain partners in for the rest of the term, making their post-romantic relationship quite awkward indeed. "Like….grass."

"He smells like grass?" Mary asked, grinning slightly at the absurdity.

"Grass is a good smell!" Marlene said defensively. "Like a field just after it's mowed…."

Marlene was the definition of a hopeless romantic. At the young age of eight she had made a pact with herself to find the one she was meant to be with, and she had been searching ever since. Convinced that it could happen at any time, she never went anywhere without her makeup bag, determined to look her best when the moment occurred. She was sixteen, and like most girls her age, she was unsurprisingly superficial. She had had many boyfriends, yes, but she was committed to believing in true love and soul mates.

"Dave is mates with him, I think," Mary said.

"Speaking of current love interests," Lily began, "how was it this summer?"

Mary shrugged. "We're just friends," Her eyes scanned the pile of candy on the seat beside her that was much smaller than it had been a few hours ago, and she broke off a piece of a chocolate bar. "That's all we've ever been."

"Is that the backdoor way of telling us nothing happened?" Marlene asked, tugging at a blonde curl.

"_No_," Mary smiled a bit.

The three girls listening waited for her to elaborate, and when she didn't, Marlene said, "_So_?"

"_So_….we kissed."

Lily grinned. "But that's great!"

But to everyone's dismay, Mary shook her head.

"It wasn't like that…." She tried to explain. "I mean, the kiss was. We were on the roof watching fireworks when he just leaned over, and…." She tilted her head. "But he said he just wanted to be friends afterwards. That a relationship would risk our friendship, and he didn't want to lose it." Mary studied her dorm mates' faces and added, "It was really sweet, and I know he meant it."

"Mary, he is your bloody soul mate." Marlene said, her arms still crossed. She meant not to say it bitterly, for she truly was happy for Mary, but it came out a bit strained anyway. _She_ wanted that kind of relationship.

Lily idly glanced down at her watch and jumped up when she realized what time it was.

"Shoot—I was supposed to patrol at five-thirty…." It was quarter to six. They would be arriving at Hogwarts in about an hour. "I'll see you in a few minutes," she waved, before exiting the compartment.

-…-

It was strange how at peace he felt at the moment. He wasn't sure _why_. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or the cigarette. He was tired of always being around non-smokers—not that James minded when he smoked, but he never wanted to join in, said it made his breath smell bad. When he did join, you couldn't get him to shut up. Sirius loved him like a brother, but James just didn't understandthe _art_ of smoking. It wasn't something you just _did_ for the hell of it. It was calming. Charlotte seemed to understand this.

The thought of alcohol popped into his head, and he unscrewed the cover to his flask, taking a swig. He held it out for Charlotte. "Care for some?"

She transferred her cigarette into her other hand and took the flask. He was surprised when she didn't flinch as the alcohol slid down her throat, but smiled slightly. Then laughed quietly.

"What a way to start the term," she took a drag. "Drunk and addicted."

He grinned at this. "Everything's better while intoxicated, love."

She looked up at him, cocking her head slightly. She was quite beautiful; her long, light red curls falling across her shoulders, dark copper eyes (studying him) with long lashes, a defined nose that looked a tiny bit sunburned, and rose colored cheeks that were the same shade as her lips. She looked towards the window and he found his eyes wandering down her figure: a graceful neck, proportional amount of chest, legs that seemed to go on forever (his favourite), and that little strip of skin showing between her jeans and her tight tee-shirt.

Sirius took a drag his eyes not leaving her. She removed her gaze from the window and met his eyes. Slowly, a smile filled her lips. "What?"

He smiled slightly, eyes not leaving hers. "You're a piece of work, Hartry."

She took a drag, assessing his expression. She tilted her head. "The feeling is entirely mutual, Black.

There was fire behind her eyes. Rebellion. Defiance. And something he couldn't quite put his finger on. She was different. He liked things that piqued his interest and Charlotte Hartry had done just that.

-…-

The flask was empty before Charlotte knew it. She recalled it being quite heavy when she had first arrived in the compartment and vaguely wondered how much time had passed between then and now. She could hold her liquor—in fact, she was a bit known for it—but large amounts of liquor mixed with a summer of remaining completely sober mixed with being cooped up in her parent's house for three months did her in. She was feeling reckless, and her common sense was a bit dull, which made getting shitfaced with one Sirius Black seem like a perfect outlet.

That was why when Sirius Black moved to sit next to her, she did not protest. That was why when he placed his hand on her upper thigh and drew close to her, the only thoughts in her head were of how good he smelled: cologne, smoke, and leather. That was why when he began to kiss her she began to kiss him back, his stubble rubbing fiercely against her cheeks, his mouth tasting of whiskey and cigarettes. That was why when he thrust his hand under her shirt, she only thought of how soft his fingers felt against her skin. That was why she laid down on the seats and he maneuvered himself on top of her, adrenaline and lust coursing through both of their bodies rapidly; intoxication and the heat of the moment consuming them.

-…-

Lily had gone the length of the train and back again without any trouble. Nor had she, thank Merlin, run into anyone unfavourable. She vaguely wonders where this streak of good luck is coming from as she is nearing her compartment, when she spots Dave Connors exiting a nearby compartment.

"Dave," Lily approached him with a smile. "Good Holiday?"

Dave Connors, the subject of Mary's affections, smiled back. "Brilliant—Mary's told you, yeah?"

Lily did not have time to respond, because just then a girl exited the compartment that Dave had previously vacated and linked her fingers in his.

"Hullo, Lily," the girl smiled. "How are you?"

She was Annette White: The one and only. The same Annette White that was nearly as famous for the amount of boyfriends she had had than Sirius was for his girlfriends. _And she was holding Dave's hand._

"Er—fine," Lily managed to say.

"Right, well, it was nice seeing you." Dave said after a few awkward moments. "Say 'hi' to Mary for me, yeah?"

"Bye, Lily." Annette smiled sweetly. Sickeningly.

The two set off down the corridor, leaving Lily with much more to think about than before their encounter.

Surely a love potion was involved?

-…-

It was dark. He blinked several times before sitting up. His vision blurred for a moment as blood rushed to his head while he attempted to take in his surroundings.

The train was stopped. He groped for his wand, his fingers finding something else in the darkness: his shirt.

His shirt?

_His shirt._

_Fuck._

The memory came flooding back to him and he groped for his wand more frantically.

"_Lumo_s!"

The compartment lit up, but there was no one else in it. He shivered at the cold September air and pulled his shirt over his head before locating his jacket, then sat down on the window seat, running a hand through his hair. He was sitting on something: it was the flask. He put it in his pocket and leaned back against the window.

_Fuck_.

A light shone in from the corridor, and he jumped to his feet. Lily Evans opened the compartment door and looked oddly at him.

"Sirius?"

He relaxed. "Evans. What are you doing here?"

She gave him another funny look. "I'm a Prefect. What are _you_ doing here?"

He sighed. He wasn't feeling up to pulling a lie out of thin air, so he pulled the flask out of his pocket and shook it. She rolled her eyes. "Really?" He shrugged. She analyzed him. "Why aren't you dressed?"

"I wanted to make an entrance."

Lily didn't seem to buy this, but she sighed and stepped out into the corridor. He followed, glad not to be probed by more questions.

"I just have to check a few more compartments," she said curtly when they were both in the corridor. "There's only one carriage left, so please don't take it without me."

Sirius watched her begin to walk down the corridor, opening and closing compartments as she went by them. He stepped out of the train and onto the platform, lighting a cigarette. He was half-way through it when Lily appeared beside him.

"You shouldn't drink so much, you know."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that concern I hear, Evans?"

She crossed her arms. "Drinking kills brain cells." She smirked slightly. "And we both know how little brain cells you have to spare, Black."

He took a drag. "I suppose you approve of smoking, then?"

"Not in the least, but it's better than intoxication." She began walking towards the carriage that was waiting for them just beyond the gait to the platform. Sirius took one last drag, threw his cigarette down on the ground, stepped on it and then followed her, thinking she probably wouldn't wait for him.

Lily stopped walking when she was about five steps from the gait. Sirius caught up to her and was about to speak when she grabbed his shoulder, her eyes focused on something in the distance. He followed her gaze. There was a man standing just within their sight, and he was saying something to someone positioned so neither Lily nor Sirius could see him. Sirius listened intently.

"I've said already—_I don't bloody well know_, do I?" the man they could see said heatedly. "Your mate was there, ask _him_!"

"I have already questioned him, rest assured Mr. Thelbit." The man in the shadows said. Unlike the other man he spoke slowly and precisely.

The other man—Mr. Thelbit—sighed exasperatedly. "_Gus_. Are we done here?"

The man in the shadows nodded curtly. "Very well, Mr. Thelbit. You may be hearing from me in the future." He stepped into the light just long enough for Sirius and Lily to see his face before he disapparated.

"Like hell you will," Gus Thelbit grumbled before he stomped away down the dimly lit street.

Sirius and Lily said nothing for a moment, processing the conversation. Lily spoke first.

"That was the train conductor, Mr. Thelbit—Gus." Her eyes were still focused on the spot where the man had disapparated. "I don't know who—"

"He works for the Ministry." Sirius spoke. "I saw his face in _The Prophet_ over the summer. Can't remember the name…."

Lily set her eyes on him. "He wasn't the one who spoke on the train, though."

"No," Sirius thought. "That must've been his 'mate.'"

They stood in silence for another moment.

"It's strange…." Lily voiced. "The Ministry has been acting odd all summer, and now this?"

Sirius nodded. He really didn't want to think any more of the situation at the moment, however. He had a slight headache, and the thought of dealing with the repercussions of the train ride had already overloaded his thoughts along with everything else he had to deal with. Not to mention he was starving. At this thought, his stomach gave a loud lurch. Lily smiled at him, her eyebrow slightly raised. With a joke about his appetite underway, the two climbed into the horseless carriage and started on their way to the castle. And despite everything, Sirius couldn't help but be glad to be back; though he was craving another cigarette, and he desperately hoped some fourth year (in an attempt to be funny) had spiked the pumpkin juice.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

I know what you're thinking: where the hell are James, Remus, and Peter? Don't fret. They are going to be the larger part of the next chapter.

Thank you to live4dance for your lovely review! As well as xIceeyou!

I implore you, faithful readers, to drop me a line (in other words a review), and let me know what you think. It not only helps to improve my writing, but greatly influences me to get moving on the next chapter. Let me put it into a better perspective for you: Reviews are better than cake. Yes, I believe that should do it.


	5. Adam's Song

**Author's Notes:**

Hey guys. Thank you to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favourited-my motivation is greatly influenced by all of you lovely people. I realize this update is a bit late, and I send out my sincerest apologies. I've been going through a lot of shit lately. Hopefully this belated chapter makes up for it, though it feels a bit half-assed on my part. Please don't hesitate to drop me a line and review to let me know what you think. I've eaten too much cake lately, so instead I'll compare the awesomeness of reviews to chocolate, which I could never get enough of.

Anon Reviewer ontheroad: Yes! The title is after the Wallflowers song _One Headlight._ You, my friend, rock. I could literally listen to that song for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it.

_By the way..._the chapter titles are songs that inspire me while I'm writing. Check them out.

* * *

><p>"Where the d'you reckon Padfoot is?" Peter asked.<p>

"Dunno." James shrugged, hands in the pockets of his robes. "Don't suppose he wants to be found."

He, Remus, and Peter had just exited the carriages and were climbing the stone steps up to Hogwarts Castle. Peter was panting slightly when they reached the entrance hall; Remus was scanning the tops of heads for Sirius; James heard something causing him to stop in his tracks. Peter promptly ran into him.

"What is it?" Remus asked, following James's gaze.

James said nothing, but started walking quickly towards a small corridor that branched off of the entrance hall, his wand in hand. Remus immediately followed; Peter hesitated for a split second and then did the same.

"Back off Lesterange."

Remus turned the corner to find James with his wand pointed at Rabastan Lestrange's chest, the latter whom had his wand aimed at a younger student, surrounded by several Slytherin cronies. He immediately drew his wand, for James was severely outnumbered. He caught Wormtail doing the same in his peripheral vision, although he was standing a step behind himself and James.

"Potter." Rabastan spat, his wand still pointed at the student, though his Slytherin mates now had their wands aimed at the Marauders. "This doesn't concern you." His face twisted into a malicious smile. "Run along and play."

"Back off, Lesterange." James repeated, his knuckles turning white clasped around his wand. "Now."

The Slytherins laughed humourlessly.

"Or what, Potter?" a dark haired dark eyed Ralon Nott asked, stepping forward. "There are four of us and three of you—or can't you count?"

"I would ask you the same but I _know_ you can't, Nott." James's eyes were flashing with fury. "Leave. _Now_."

"_Don't_ give us a detention!" Cruella Yaxley wailed, a Prefects badge glinting on her chest. "Oh, that's right." She glared at Remus. "_You can't_."

James made to speak, but Remus put his arm against his shoulder holding him back.

"Why don't you leave," Remus said calmly, his wand still raised, "and we'll avoid getting anyone _else_ involved."

Rabastan smirked. "Like who Lupin?" He looked over his shoulder. "I don't see anyone, do _you_?"

"We can settle this later," he continued calmly, glancing at the traumatized boy still on the floor. "Let him go and we'll settle this later."

Rabastan actually seemed to consider his words.

"All right, Lupin." He lowered his wand, turning to his mates and grinning maliciously. "It's really no fun if dear old Black isn't here, anyway."

The Slytherins, with one last evil look, disappeared down the corridor. Remus let go of James only when they were out of sight. James punched the wall. Peter flinched slightly.

"_Fuck them_."

Remus coughed and motioned to the boy.

James ran a hand through his hair and did not look slightly apologetic when he muttered, "Sorry."

"Are you all right?" Remus asked, bending down to the boy's level. He looked about twelve—probably a second year, he reasoned. Remus gave a small smile. "What's your name?"

The boy looked like he had been crying. He choked out, "Sam Waylon."

Remus smiled kindly again. "Right—well, Sam, I think you've earned fifty points to Gryffindor, wouldn't you say?"

Sam appeared hesitant. "Won't—won't they get in trouble?"

"No because they are slimy little—"

"_James_." Remus warned. "What exactly did they do to you?"

"I..." Sam thought for a moment and then made a sweeping gesture over his whole body with his arms. "I don't know what the spell was...but it made everywhere hurt really bad. Like—like knives going into my skin e-everywhere, but there aren't any wounds." He looked down and assessed his arms and legs just to be sure of this fact.

Remus looked at him with utmost sincerity. "Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

"No...It doesn't hurt anymore. It aches a little, though...aren't you James Potter?" he asked James, sitting up straighter.

James, who was leaning up against the corridor wall with his arms crossed, did not answer. Remus smiled again at Sam before he helped him to his feet.

"I think you're going to be fine, Sam. You should probably go back to the feast." When Sam looked hesitant to go alone, Remus added with a comforting smile, "Don't worry, they went the other way."

Sam Waylon nodded. He began walking towards the entrance hall. He paused when he reached where James was standing. "You're Quidditch Captain, right?"

James nodded reluctantly, really not in the mood to be discussing Quidditch.

"When are try-outs?" Sam asked eagerly, looking all of his twelve years. "I'm a beater!"

"Yeah well, we've already got two excellent beaters." James said harshly. He realized he had crushed the boy's sprit, however, and added, "But don't worry—most second years don't make the team, anyway."

Sam still drooped. He turned towards Remus and muttered a quick, "Thanks," before continuing on his way.

Peter grinned slightly. "Funny little chap..." But no one paid this comment any heed.

"The cruciatis curse." Remus said, letting out a tiny sigh.

James's eyes became wide. "You're not serious, Remus?"

Remus nodded gravely. "I know the signs. No other spell could have that big of an effect. Not to my knowledge."

James began to pace.

"Isn't that risky?" Peter asked. "Doing that in a school?"

"No one said they were smart, Wormtail." James snapped, putting a hand to his forehead in distress.

Remus watched James closely. "We shouldn't report them. No one was permanently injured and we don't want to give them any more reason to come after us." His voice was quiet and precise. When James opened his mouth to argue, he added, "They are dangerous, James. Who knows what they are capable of."

James looked down and ran a hand through his hair again. After a moment, he nodded slowly and met Remus's eyes. "All right." He sighed. "All right...let's go." He began walking towards the Great Hall. Remus followed him with a slightly strained brow, and Peter quickly hurried to catch up, having legs similar to the lengths of a tooth-pick.

-…-

Lily entered the Great Hall, Sirius at her side. She gave him a little half-wave and he grinned back at her, well aware that people were staring at both of them, for they had both come in late for the feast and Sirius was still dressed in Muggle attire. Lily remained calm and collected, ignoring the stares, and located her mates. Sirius sat further along the table than she, presumably with the rest of the Marauders, but she couldn't tell.

"What was Sirius doing?" Marlene asked, intrigued and slightly attracted to the tousled Black. "And why does he look so _dashing_?"

"This is Black you're talking about you realize, Mar." Lily said, crossing her legs under the table and propping her elbows up.

Marlene didn't seem to take this as a very sufficient answer, so Lily changed the subject to spare Sirius the publicity.

"Anyone seen Charlotte?" she asked, looking around beside and across from her.

Dorcas shook her head.

"Maybe she's ill?" Mary suggested, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.

The four girls did not have the time to discuss this for very much longer, for just than McGonagall entered the Hall with a wooden stool in hand.

Lily rather enjoyed watching the sorting. She loved seeing the amazed looks on the first years' faces when they looked up at the enchanted ceiling or the gasps of surprise when the sorting hat began to sing animatedly. It reminded her of what it had been like when she was a first year; a memory which always brought a smile to her lips. She was glad to be back.

Once "Quinn, Zephora" had been sorted into Hufflepuff, Dumbledore stood to speak.

"Welcome to our new students, and welcome back to our old." His eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles. He wore long, deep purple dress robes, and his beard, Lily noticed, had been trimmed much shorter than last term. "Dig in."

The four house tables filled magically with food and chatter began to fill the Hall. Lily ate lightly: she had indulged in quite a few sweets that afternoon. She was more interested on what Dumbledore would say in his speech when everyone was done eating; the conversation between the conductor and the Ministry official still ripe in her head. She was disappointed when Dumbledore just gave the usual speech, warnings about the Forbidden Forest, Quidditch try-outs, and again, no magic in the corridors. She wondered why he hadn't said anything pertaining to the blackout, but maybe he just hadn't wanted to call attention to the matter. Maybe the Ministry was preventing him from saying anything. Maybe—

"Are you coming Lily?"

Lily stopped running theories through her head and turned around to meet eyes with one Remus Lupin.

"Right—" she stood and put a hand in the air. She wasn't normally this disheveled, and it threw her off. "First years this way!"

Remus followed behind her, shouting the same, and once they were in the corridor he began to give them a lay-down of the castle; everything they might need to know. Lily admired his charisma as she listened while they climbed their way up to the seventh floor and the Gryffindor Common Room. Once he had given all of the basic knowledge (bathrooms, classrooms, breakfast, dinner, library, grounds), he asked if anyone had any questions.

"I heard there are ghosts," one boy in the back of the line piped up. "Is it true?"

Remus smiled and nodded. "Yes—" at which several students gasped, "—but don't worry, they're friendly. It's really just Peeves you have to look out for..."

They had reached the portrait hole, and Remus quickly explained how it operated before telling the first years the password. After a brief overview of the Common Room, they had reached the dormitory staircases. Lily thought she had better at least contribute something to Remus's tour, so she told each gender where they could find their appropriate dorm, and how the girls' dorm was jinxed to not allow anyone up its stairs.

"So does that mean an actual male?" one boy asked. "Because I have this one uncle, who's really an aunt—"

Remus clasped his hands together, interrupting the boy. "And that concludes our time together this evening! I suggest you head up to your respective dorms and get some rest—you have a big day ahead of you!"

Lily grinned at Remus after the first years had skedaddled up the stairs. "That was impressive—I didn't even know about that bathroom on the sixth floor."

"I get around." His eyes glinting softly; mischievously. "Are you all right? You seem a bit...preoccupied."

Lily sighed, realizing then how tired she was. "It's been a long day." She half-smiled.

Remus nodded slowly in agreement, grinning slightly. "Well rest assured, it probably wasn't as long a day as that uncle's who is really an aunt..."

Lily laughed, bumping Remus playfully with her elbow. "I'll keep that in mind," she promised. She looked towards the dorm, then back at him. "I think I'll call it a night. See you tomorrow, Remus."

He smiled. "'Night, Lily."

Lily smiled in return and ascended the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

-…-

Remus was the first to notice when Sirius entered the Hall. Peter was the second, although he was less observant than both James and Remus But then again James was transfixed with Lily, who had come in a few steps ahead of Sirius. Remus thought Sirius had been doing exactly what he had been doing; Peter thought Sirius had finally cracked; James thought that once he got his hands around Sirius's neck that he might see some sense.

"What the hell are you thinking?" James whispered, assessing Sirius's outfit as the latter sat down at the Gryffindor table. He had whispered because people were staring—_everyone_ was staring, really.

Sirius shrugged nonchalantly, ignoring the stares.

"You smell like whiskey." James added, his eyes slightly narrowed at him from across the table. "And smoke." To which Sirius also shrugged. "Damn it, Sirius—"

"What?" Sirius asked, his silver eyes, tired, focused on James.

McGonagall entered the Great Hall carrying a wooden stool. The majority of the Hall stopped talking, so James lowered his voice even further.

"Do you see yourself?" James snapped, leaning closer to him. "You look like hell!"

The sorting hat burst out into song, preventing further chatter. James ran a hand through his hair and gave him a look before averting his eyes to the front of the Hall. He didn't broach the topic again until the feast was over, which made the entire length of the meal quite tense indeed.

Remus tried to fill the void by explaining in great detail a novel he had just finished; Peter played along, asking questions about the characters and the plot. Finally, Dumbledore stood and said the usual start of term announcements and Remus stood along with everyone else to direct the first years.

Sirius sitting tapped his fingers on the table. James looked up at the Staff table, betting everything he had that McGonagall was going to come over any minute. Sure enough, her lips were pursed into a line so thin, he almost couldn't see it. When the students seated around them had cleared out, the two stood and exited the Hall in silence. Peter had left just after Remus had in attempt to avoid involvement in the row that was brewing.

"You can't do this, you know." James said once they were in the corridor. "I won't let you."

Sirius smiled humourlessly, leaning against the stone wall behind him. "I don't know what it is you think I'm doing, Prongs, but—"

"You're doing it right now!" James threw his hands in the air. "You're—hello Professor."

McGonagall, who had followed the two out of the Hall, nodded at James. "Mr. Black, I will be requiring a word with you promptly in my office."

James, with one last look at Sirius that said "we'll talk later," nodded at McGonagall and headed in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

Sirius sighed. He just wanted his bed. And maybe a cigarette. "Can't you just punish me here?" He asked without his usual charming demeanour; not a pleading note in his voice but instead exhaustion.

Professor McGonagall looked a bit taken aback by his tone. She said nothing for a moment. "I implore you to explain why you have felt the need to exempt yourself from the school's dress code."

"I like the attention, Professor." Sirius met her eyes with his own.

McGonagall paused as if waiting for another explanation. When he gave none, she said, "Very well. Fifteen points from Gryffindor. Have a good night, Mr. Black." And she was off, her emerald robes billowing behind her.

Sirius let out a breath. He was still leaning against the wall as he pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes. He yearned for a fag, but as he reached into his pocket, he realized he had smoked the last one on the platform. He swore under his breath and ran a hand through his hair. After minutes of arguing with himself, he decided to make his way towards Gryffindor Tower. The idea of confrontation wasn't very appealing, but he was exhausted.

He had only been away from Hogwarts for three months, but, as he walked through the familiar corridors, he wondered why everything felt so strange and different. He wondered who he had been before, and who he was now, and why he felt like he hadn't changed, but also knew he wasn't the same.

-…-

"Enjoying yourself, are we?" James asked dryly, leaning against the portrait hole frame. His eyes were fixed on the girls' dormitory staircase, his stance hostile.

Remus chose to ignore his comment. "Shall I presume it did not go well?" James was jealous of Remus's relationship with Lily, but he never held it completely against him. And when he did, he was either in an extremely irritable mood or shitfaced.

James shook his head and walked closer to Remus, who stood by the stairwells. "I said about two words to him before McGonagall swooped in." He softened significantly. "I'm sorry, I'm just...overloaded." Yes, he thought that was the correct term. "And Sirius is just Sirius. And Lily still thinks I'm about as worthless as a flobberworm, which doesn't exactly help."

"No, I can't imagine that it would." Remus admitted, eyes glinting slightly. "Might I recommend you actually speak with her before jumping to conclusions?"

"So I can hear 'sod off, Potter?'"

"Perhaps if you said something _not_ pertaining to your ego or her bottom, you might receive a more pleasant response."

James bumped Remus mock-playfully with his elbow and said, "I'll keep that in mind."

-…-

Lily entered the dormitory, sighing at the familiar sight. She flopped down on her bed and buried her nose in the blankets—savouring the smell of the clean sheets. _Mmmhhmm_... She rolled over on her back and faced the ceiling, resting her hands across her stomach. She had missed her bed.

Remembering her missing dorm mate, Lily picked her head up and scanned the room more carefully, but it was without prevail. Then she noticed the lavatory door was closed, and walked over to knock on it. A moment later it opened to reveal Charlotte Hartry: a mane of damp red hair.

"Charlotte," Lily smiled. She was dressed in bedclothes. "How are you?"

Charlotte tucked a curl behind her ear. "I'm all right...tired." She smiled slightly. "I wasn't too hungry."

"We hoped you weren't sick," Lily leaned against a bedpost as Charlotte crossed the room and began rifling through her trunk at the foot of her bed.

"Yeah...I'm fine." She extracted a novel and closed the lid, standing. "Thanks." She attempted a smile.

Lily sensed that she did not really want to talk, so she returned the gesture and headed into the lavatory. Charlotte laid down on her bed and closed the curtains, read about two pages of her book and thought, _fuck it_. She slipped out of bed and grabbed her wand of her bedside table, leaving the curtains pulled around her four-poster so her dorm mates would think she was sleeping. Opening the window just to the right of her bed, she quickly judged the distance between where she stood and the roof below before climbing out the window and down the vines on the wall on the outside of the tower. She landed silently on the flat roof and sighed, her body slightly tingling from the height. It was something she had done many times before.

The night was crisp, and she immediately regretted not throwing on a jumper. Sitting far from the edge, she took a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and lit it with her wand, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. The night was clear; the almost full moon shining brightly and illuminating the grounds. It was quiet, the only sounds emitting from the light wind as it blew through the trees and the many cracks and crevasses of the castle. It was peaceful. She set her head in her arms and wished it would stay that way. Wishing she could dissolve into the wind…float away….


	6. Another Brick In the Wall

**Author's Notes:**

This bit was actually the first piece I wrote for this fic. It may be written slightly different from the other chapters because of this, but it should be quite an unnoticeable difference. I hope. You tell me, lovely readers.

Pardon all of the Sirius/Charlotte. Honestly, I am quite inspired by their relationship. It will not be as prominent in the next few chapters, though.

_Thank you to all those who have reviewed/favourited/alerted: I truly love you all._

To make up for my tardiness, I have a nice long chapter for you lovely people. Enjoy._  
><em>

* * *

><p>It was early that morning when the sun woke Lily Evans through the cracks in the scarlet curtain of her four-poster. She sighed, knowing more sleep would not come, rolled out of bed, and tried not to disturb her roommates as she gathered her clothes and slipped into the shower. A quick charm to dry her hair when she was clean, a little dab of mascara in the mirror, and she was off to breakfast.<p>

She liked Hogwarts in the morning; it was the quietest before and after hours, but at night it gave off more of a spooky vibe than it did during the day. She would definitely not want to be wondering down a dimly lit corridor in the middle of the night, and she rather favoured the way the sun shone in from the many stain glass windows and made patterns on the stone walls. She was just admiring this particular feature when she turned a corner and ran straight into someone.

"Christ—oh, Lily!"

"Dorcas," Lily smiled, taking in the brunette, "I thought you were still in bed."

Dorcas played with the ends of her rather tousled hair. She looked a bit jittery; her eyes were bloodshot from what appeared to be lack of sleep, and she was still in her bed robes. "I—I couldn't sleep," she said with a much too bright smile. "Figured I'd eat early, good start to the year, and all..."

"Are you all right?" Lily asked. "You look exhausted."

Dorcas flashed that fake smile again. "Oh, yeah—like I said, couldn't sleep."

"Shall I bring back coffee?" Lily smiled kindly. "It looks like you might need it,"

Dorcas smiled in return, beginning to walk down the corridor. "Yeah, that would be great."

Lily frowned after her for a moment before continuing on her way to the Great Hall. Dorcas was usually quite put-together. She was also keen on appearances: you never saw Dorcas Meadowes looking anything less than flawless, though just then she had been dressed in her bed clothes, supported no makeup, and it didn't appear as though she had brushed her hair that morning. But it was early, Lily reasoned. Perhaps she had been thinking she wouldn't run into anyone.

Shrugging it off, Lily entered the Great Hall. It appeared the rest of the castle had the idea of sleeping in since few people littered the four House tables. She idly spotted Charlotte's younger brother, Collin, at the other end of the Gryffindor table and waved. He returned the wave, and she saw his friends sneaking glances at her and looking her up and down as she poured several cups of coffee for her and her dorm mates. _Third years_. She couldn't help but smile.

When she had buttered herself a piece of toast, taken a bite of it, and successfully managed to levitate six cups of coffee on a tray with her wand, she headed back towards Gryffindor Tower. She had gone about two steps out into the corridor, however, when she ran into the second person that morning. Artfully, she managed to balance the coffee mugs so that only one of them spilled a tiny drop of its contents.

"Lily, I'm sorry—"

Lily stepped back and realized who it was. Her lips formed a line on her face; her expression not one of welcoming. "Severus."

Severus Snape looked just as he ever had: hooked nosed and greasy haired. He appeared to have grown at least an inch since they had last met since he was now the taller of the two.

He said nothing for a moment, and just as she was about to be on her way he stammered, "How—how are you?"

She stopped walking and faced him. "We're not going to play this game, you and I, Severus. I don't intend to spend the good part of the year, or _any_ part of it actually, trying to make you see reason, either. I think it would be best for both of us if we continued to go our separate ways."

Severus reached for her arm as she made to turn away again. "Lily, I'm—"

"You're what, Severus?" She faced him, voice incredibly calm for the words she was uttering. "Sorry? I've already told you that I've forgiven you."

"No—" Severus tried desperately. "I want to be mates again, Lily, and...I—I'll do anything to make that happen." She opened her mouth to say things he would not want to hear, and he knew this, so before she could speak he quickly added, "Just—please...just think about it."

He looked so sincere. So much like the way he used to when they had been close. She didn't have it in her heart to crush him. Later she would blame the time of the morning, but the truth was, she wanted to forgive him. She wanted Sev back.

He said nothing more and shrank away from her and into the Great Hall, leaving her with more to think about than she wanted to handle.

He was in the wrong, not she, but if that was so, why did she feel like the bad guy? The end of their friendship hadn't had the effect on her she thought it would. She had cried for days, but it felt like their friendship had ended weeks before it actually did. He hadn't contacted her all summer, which was odd to her. She had spent every summer with him since she was five. They hadn't spoken since she had forgiven him, and she had told him that didn't mean they would both go straight back to being best friends again, it meant that she could let go, not hold any resentment towards him. She did not believe in holding grudges. And as much as she tried to convince herself that their friendship was over, she had doubts.

Without realizing it, Lily had reached the fat lady, who was staring expectantly down upon her.

"Password?" she inquired for what didn't seem like the first time since Lily had been standing there.

"Right—sorry," Lily said while proceeding to say, "gobstones."

The fat lady opened and Lily climbed through the portrait hole, still conscious of the beverages floating in front of her, and was barely to the other side before she ran into the third person that morning. This, she had not been expecting, and her wand hand slipped, sending the coffees tumbling to their ultimate doom, and stumbled backwards and tripped on the ledge of the portrait hole. She felt an arm wrap around her waist and watched as the tray of drinks landed gracefully in the hands of one James Potter: valiant savior.

"This must, be a record or something," Lily muttered, realizing she had run into three people within the last hour. She straightened and flattened her skirt as James elegantly balanced all six of the coffee cups in front of her. She had to admit that even she was impressed, and it showed slightly in her facial expression.

James, noticing this, raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Pardon me?"

"Oh, nothing," Lily sighed. She smiled. "Thank you."

James smiled too, his expression mellowing slightly. "Anytime, Lily."

This spontaneous first-name-basis was so casual, Lily, as preoccupied as she already was, failed to notice it.

"Wait," he called after her as she headed for the Girls' dormitories, "aren't you going to ask how my summer was?"

He nearly sounded polite, Lily observed as she turned around to humour him. He looked rather handsome; his jet-black hair as messy as it always was, his skin elegantly tanned from the summer sun, and that cute smile on his face. It was genuine, not cocky as it normally was. "I would love to, James, but as I have roommates that desire none less than to murder me in the morning without a hearty dosage of caffeine in their systems, I really must be getting them their coffee before it becomes cold."

He kept that adorable smile, his eyes quite sincere. "Later then?"

She smiled slightly, narrowing her eyes only with _slight_ suspicion. "All right." She watched him exit the portrait hole and then continued on her way up to the dorm, thinking that this morning could not become any stranger.

-...-

Dorcas climbed the stairs to the girls' dormitories and entered her dorm as quietly as she could. She had already run into Lily, but she thought she had lied quite sufficiently about it, and hoped Lily wouldn't think anything of it. After all, she was Dorcas Meadowes, and she had nothing to hide.

She slipped into the bathroom and checked her appearance in the mirror, frowning slightly. Her eyes weren't _too_ bloodshot, considering she had gotten about three hours of sleep, and a fair amount of makeup could cure the rest. She turned away from the mirror and stepped into the shower, intending to fix the tangled mess that was her hair. A few minutes later she wrapped a towel around her middle and preformed a quick drying charm on her hair before exiting the bathroom to retrieve her makeup bag and clothes for the day. She was surprised when she saw Charlotte was sitting up in her bed, her back to Dorcas, legs dangled over the edge.

"'Good morning, Charlotte," Dorcas said quietly as she made her way to her trunk, aware that Mary and Marlene were still asleep. "Up a bit early, aren't you?" She smiled teasingly. It was a well known fact that Charlotte was about as far from a morning person as was possible.

Charlotte craned her neck, her hair trailing down her back in messy curls. She looked exhausted. "'Morning...what time is it?"

"I think around six-forty-five," Dorcas drew a pleated skirt and black stockings out of her trunk.

Charlotte groaned, running a hand through her fringe.

Dorcas stood, her clothes in hand and closed herself in the loo.

It was strange. Charlotte had never been the most social of people; she had always sort of kept to herself and Dorcas was about as close to her as everyone else in the dorm was, but ever since the train she had been acting odd. They had exchanged a few letters over the summer, and she hadn't sounded any different in those, but Charlotte, like Dorcas, was also an excellent liar. However, no one knew this because she didn't pry into other people's lives, and they didn't pry into hers. So Dorcas wouldn't pry; she didn't want the favour in return.

When she had put on her makeup (dark eyeliner around her dark eyes, thick mascara, cover-up for the bags under her eyes), she exited the loo and set her sights on locating her hairbrush in the confines of her trunk. Charlotte was lying down on top of the covers in her bed; her knees propped up, a hand to her forehead.

"You all right?" Dorcas asked as she looked through her trunk.

Charlotte said nothing. Then, "I need a bloody gigantic cup of coffee, is all."

"Lily's bringing some back from breakfast," Dorcas smiled, pulling out her hairbrush and sitting at the foot of her bed. "I expect she'll be back soon."

"Brilliant." Charlotte sat up, then stood and made for the loo. "Save a cup for me, will you?"

Dorcas smiled. "Will do,"

She ran the brush through her hair a few times then pulled it back into a plait.

"You have to teach me how to do that."

Dorcas turned towards the door and watched as Lily entered the room, supporting six cups of coffee with her wand. Dorcas smiled as she wove the stands of her hair intricately together. "It's not as hard as it looks, it just takes practice." She finished by tying the end with a black ribbon, throwing the plait over her shoulder.

Lily grinned in an "if you say so" sort of way and handed her a cup of coffee before sitting down of the bed adjacent and taking a sip of her own cup.

Dorcas took a sip as well. "Why are there six cups?"

"Two for Charlotte," Lily grinned. She looked around. "Looks like she's already up..."

Lily was quite chipper, as was her usual morning demeanour. She was really quite a positive person all around, although around certain people she could become quite a hurricane if set off the right way (certain people meaning almost solely James Potter). This was why Dorcas was a bit more than shocked when Lily said quite nonchalantly, "I ran into James this morning."

There two things odd about this statement. First, she had called him _James_. Second, when speaking with Lily Evans about James Potter, nothing was _ever_ nonchalant.

Dorcas used a large part of her self-restraint to keep her eyebrows from shooting upward. "Did you?" Now, she was not one for gossip, but this wasn't exactly gossip if coming from the source.

Lily nodded, sipping her coffee. Her green eyes were nearly pensive at the thought of the boy who had once made her skin crawl. "He was nearly pleasant." Her green eyes were faraway and pensive.

"Was he?" Dorcas asked, trying to look as if this weren't a miraculous breakthrough.

"Mmhmm." Lily thought back on their conversation and fingered her dark red hair that hung to just below her shoulders. Dorcas wondered how someone could be so unfazed with James Potter at their beck and call. Not that Dorcas herself fancied him, though she certainly wouldn't protest if her came after her. But that was just _Lily_. She was clever, though admittedly horrible at Herbology (she was in fact known as the Plant Mass Murderer quite widely), and _stunning_: in that cute sort of way, with freckles trailing across her small nose and covering her arms.

"What are we talking about?" Mary asked sleepily, drawing back her scarlet bed curtains.

Lily smiled brightly. "'Morning, Mare. Coffee?"

Mary stood and stretched. "No, thanks. Who's in the loo?" she asked, noticing the door was closed.

"Charlotte," Dorcas crossed her legs and pressed her skirt.

"It must be the apocalypse." Marlene propped herself up on her elbows from her bed. "And I'll take that coffee,"

Lily nodded towards the tea tray. "The two that are black are on the right,"

Marlene slid out of her bed and sat down beside Dorcas, taking the one of the non-black cups of coffee and taking a sip. "What time is it?"

"Seven-fifteen."

Marlene groaned. "It _must _be the apocalypse."

"Early to bed, early to rise, Mar," Mary said from the floor where she was gathering her clothes from her trunk.

Marlene took another sip of her coffee as Charlotte emerged from the loo, dry and wearing a black pleated skirt with a red blouse. She smiled at everyone before taking her wand off of her night table and waving it once over her head to dry her hair.

Mary headed into the loo while Lily said, "'Morning, Charlotte."

"'Morning," Charlotte smiled a bit half-heartedly. Spotting the coffee, she said, "I don't suppose that's for me?"

Dorcas nodded and handed her a cup as she moved closer. "Decaf, right?" she grinned.

"Yeah," she said sarcastically with a dry laugh as she accepted the cup. She remained standing while she took several large sips. "Merlin, I needed that...thanks."

"No problem," Lily cradled her mug. "I saw your brother in the Great Hall."

Charlotte cradled the cup in her hands. "Collin?" she smiled; it made her look less tired. "He has a bit of a thing for you."

Marlene laughed, hair falling into her eyes. "That's so CUTE."

"Lily seems to be the subject of most underclassmen's affections," Dorcas grinned.

Lily shook her head, a smile playing at her lips. "Don't exaggerate—that was _once_. _Last_ _year_."

Dorcas continued to grin. "I'm not exaggerating, darling, _you_ are just in denial."

"And it was _adorable_," Marlene added. "With the roses, and the poem—"

"I thought we had sworn to never speak of it?" Lily interrupted. "I don't want to be reminded of—"

"—the second year that declared his undying love to you in front of the Great Hall—"

"I _will_ hex you!"

Marlene looked as though she highly doubted this. "It was _sweet_. Just give him a couple of years..."

Charlotte swept her fringe to the side. Her mind looked like it had wondered off throughout the bickering. "I'm going to head down to breakfast," she started for the door. "See you down there?"

"Marlene hopped up off of Lily's bed and walked over to her trunk. "Could you wait a minute? I just need to get dressed..."

Charlotte looked hesitant as she hovered in the doorway.

"I'll go down with you, Mar," Dorcas piped up noticing this. "I need to fix my makeup anyway."

This was a lie, but Charlotte looked as if she really didn't want any company, and Dorcas was glad to spare her the obligation.

"Okay," Marlene nodded, not really seeming to mind either way as she laid out her clothes. "See you later, then."

Charlotte smiled slightly at the three girls and disappeared out the door.

"Has anyone seen my hairbrush?" Marlene asked after a moment of digging through her trunk.

"Accio?" Lily suggested.

Marlene rolled her eyes a herself. "Right," she said the incantation with a casual flick of her wand and grabbed the hairbrush as it zoomed out of her trunk. "I forgot how useful that is..." She set the hairbrush on top of her clothes for the day that lay on her bed. "Thank Merlin I'll be able to do that next summer—I don't know how I survived without magic for three months."

"I know," Lily agreed, sighing. "It's like forgetting this world exists."

"Where did Charlotte go?" Mary asked, emerging from the loo in a brown pleated skirt and a white blouse.

"Breakfast," Lily supplied.

Mary floated over to the window. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Marlene assessed her outfit with blatant disapproval; a small frown on her lips. "Can I make a suggestion, Mary?"

"All right?" Mary followed Marlene's gaze, her eyes trailing down her torso.

Marlene analyzed her for another moment before mussing Mary's hair up and unbuttoning the top button to her blouse. She stepped back to admire her work, her hands clasped together in a very Marlene-esque way. "Better."

Mary turned to the mirror and looked at her reflection, unsure of her appearance. "Yeah?"

Marlene nodded encouragingly and looked to Dorcas and Lily for support. Lily had chosen that moment to become deeply involved with the liquid remaining in her mug, while Dorcas nodded absently, her mind drifting as she spotted a neon-pink piece of parchment sticking out in between the pages of one of the books that littered Lily's nightstand. It wouldn't have stood out to her at all if the subject hadn't just been broached, but she knew at once what it was from the memory. She reached for the book before Lily could stop her and pulled out the parchment, a grin creeping up on her face.

"You kept it."

Lily began to blush. "It's not what you think—"

"What is that?" Mary asked, peering at it from across the room.

Marlene spotted the parchment and squealed. "Lily!"

Lily tried to grab for the parchment, but Dorcas simply couldn't have that.

"To my Lily Flower," Dorcas began to read, "When I was just a small first year, you showed me how to handle my fear. You were kind and gracious, sweet and bodacious—my goodness, I don't remember this part…."

Mary was beside herself with laughter while Marlene was grinning and slightly gushing.

"You helped me in class, with you're very fine ass—"

"It doesn't say that!"

"How would YOU know? He's a _second year_, remember? Well third year now...perhaps he and Collin are in cahoots."

"_All right—it was sweet_. Happy?"

"Not entirely. You're named after a flower, and you—"

"SO HELP ME, DORCAS!"

-...-

"FIFTEEN points?" Peter asked, his fork half-way to his mouth. "That's it?"

Sirius shrugged, though he too was surprised at his lack of punishment.

"You must've intimidated her with your leather and ripped jeans," James grinned as he spread marmalade on a piece of toast. His anger from the previous night had evaporated, which Peter in particular found to be quite strange. Sirius had arrived in the dormitory and James hadn't said anything to him besides 'goodnight.' Peter had at least been expecting a shouting match with possible wands involved, but it seems as though James just wanted to brush the whole thing under the rug. Of course, Peter was unaware of the successful conversation James had shared with one Lily Evans that morning, which had contributed immensely to his chipper mood. "There are porno films that begin like that, you know."

Remus's eyebrows shot above his hairline, a trademark expression to anyone who knew him. "You, James Potter, are truly perverted."

Peter did not think neither Sirius nor James saw it, but Remus's eyes kept flickering back and forth between the two of them. It was as if he sensed some sort of invisible tension.

James grinned sideways. "Hey—I wouldn't mind seeing Minnie—"

"Please refrain from finishing that sentence. I don't need the mental image." Remus implored. "And I don't think I would be able to meet McGonagall in the eyes again."

Peter snorted into his orange juice.

James smirked. "Would you like to co-star, Wormy?"

"I can't believe we are discussing this." Remus looked down, but whether he was disturbed, ashamed, or merely laughing was not to be determined. "I don't want to know what runs through that perverse mind of yours that you _don't_ say."

James took a bite of his toast, gesturing with it as he spoke. "Many a thought, Moony. Many a thought..." He glanced absently around the Hall; eyes landing on something that made him smile cockily and run a hand through his hair. "For instance, right now I'm trying to picture Evans—"

Remus coughed loudly and held up a pitcher of coffee as if threatening to drown the thought. "I don't need that mental image either, James." He poured the coffee into his mug. "Thank you for that insight, but I think I'll be keeping to my own head."

"I was going to say 'with blonde hair.' WHO'S the perverted one?"

Remus gave him a look that said quite plainly that he doubted this.

Sirius had tuned out for the larger part of this banter; his eyes following one long haired and copper eyed Charlotte Hartry as she entered the Hall. She stood there for the briefest of moments and their eyes locked, sending a queasy feeling into the pit of his stomach. The feeling only deepened when Charlotte looked away and was taken into the arms of burly and handsome Oliver Bratton, and kissed fiercely. He looked away.

So it hadn't meant anything then. It was just a one-time thing. It was _his_ fault, anyway; he had sprung on her if he remembered correctly. It was still slightly hazy. But it didn't matter: they wouldn't have to talk and she wouldn't be expecting a relationship. This thought should relieve him, but somehow it made him feel worse, that feeling in his stomach creeping into his throat.

He looked back over to where she was standing just in time to see Bratton lead her by the hand out of the Great Hall and, he presumed, into a nearby broom cupboard. The thought shouldn't surprise him, but he still felt odd about the entire situation. It was a feeling he couldn't quite shake. And it bothered him. She should not have such a firm hold over him, for seemingly no reason, none the less. He had been with many other girls before and felt nothing save momentary heat and shallow lust that any female with a pretty face and decent calves could give him, so why was she so different?

"Pads?" James asked, his hand outstretched. Sirius looked at him blankly. "Marmalade?"

Sirius acquiesced, his eyes still faraway. And suddenly he felt fidgety. He wasn't sure if it was Charlotte or nicotine deprivation or James acting strangely chipper and Remus going along with it or that he hadn't yet run into his brother, but something was causing his leg to convulsively twitch up and down, and his need for fresh air and solitude was becoming unrestrainable. With some bull shit excuse underway, Sirius left the Great Hall and dashed out the front door to the grounds. Sometimes everything was just too much to handle.

-...-

She hadn't really known what to expect upon entering the Great Hall. Well, of course she had _known_, a better term for it would be she hadn't stopped to think about it. In Charlotte's mind, things that were very complex seemed quite simple sometimes. She would enter the Hall, talk with Oliver, possibly see Sirius, and go off to class. Of course, Charlotte also had the unfortunate ability to underestimate her emotions, which was why the moment she spotted Sirius seated at the Gryffindor table, she stopped in her tracks. Emotion rose to her throat and she swallowed fiercely to keep it all down.

It was vulnerability, and she hated it. She hated how one look at him could make her throat close up and all the thoughts buried deep inside her mind swim to the tip of her tongue. He was Sirius-God-Damn-Black, and just because they had had a moment of intimacy—no, no it wasn't even intimacy—just because they had gotten drunk and fornicated, it did not mean anything even remotely relevant. These feelings were absolutely irrational and there was no reason for her to analyze them.

Before she knew what was happening, strong arms were wrapped around her and soft lips brushed hers roughly. New emotions mixed with the old combined and she felt tears sting her eyes. She broke away almost immediately, pink flushing her cheeks as some of the younger students in then Hall stared at them. "Oliver—what are you—"

"Shhh." Oliver Bratton put a finger to her lips and smiled a handsome smile, their bodies still pressed together. "I've missed you, Lottie."

Oliver Bratton was tall, burly, and had a fair amount of muscle. He had short brown hair, caring eyes, and an adorable smile that made Charlotte's knees weak.

Charlotte couldn't meet his eyes. That feeling in her throat was rising, and she knew if it became any larger she wouldn't have the strength to contain it. It was too much. She needed some place to think. Or at least a place to escape from her thoughts.

"Ollie, I—"

He pressed that finger up against her lips again and linked his hand around her wrist, leading her out into the corridor.

"Wait," Charlotte tried again.

He drew her in close to him once more. "Can't it wait until we've caught up? I haven't seen you all summer, Lot."

She looked into his eyes, tucking a red curl behind an ear. "No, Oliver. I'm...just not feeling very well. And I'm hungry—I skipped dinner last night."

This was half true: she _was_ starving (though she didn't think her stomach could hold anything at the moment), and she certainly did not feel up to snuggling up to Oliver, who was so sweet and loyal and caring and protective and—

She bit the inside of her cheek.

Oliver kissed her softly on the mouth, only deepening her guilt. It was such a gentle gesture.

"Then of course I can wait." He smiled. "I'll see you in Trans, then?"

Charlotte nodded weakly. He tucked her hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I'll miss you." His eyes were almost too much for her to bear, but then he was gone, and she was leaning against the corridor wall, wishing things could just be simple for once in her life.


End file.
